That Day
by Tisha
Summary: The senshi have to deal with the sudden loss of their closest friend.


That Day

By: Tisha

Rated: a low PG-13 for drama and darkness

I still can't believe what happened that day, and I suppose I

never will. It had never crossed my mind. Somehow, even through all the

trouble we faced, it never seemed real that such a thing could happen.

It was always our duty to protect her, and we did. Several times it was

with our lives. Because we trusted her, we knew she could defeat

whatever villain it was. She had so much hope and love, such a pure

heart.

Actual real life troubles never seemed a possibility when you

fought evil forces. Usagi, my dear friend, I guess she didn't believe it

either. Now I'm left praying, with all my might, that she knew how I

felt. We all loved her, but who would have guessed that things could

have fallen apart without her?

•••••••••••••••••••

Nine months earlier-

It was a horrible feeling. It washed over me out of nowhere and I

had to clutch at my heart and wonder what had happened. I knew it was

something terrible. The fire didn't tell me anything. There was no

answer at Usagi's, but the others were all home. They hadn't even felt

it. I just had to wait. I can't believe how long a night can seem when

you have to wait.

I couldn't wait anymore by six the next morning. I didn't want to

wake everyone up but I had to go to her house, I had to check. I

actually hoped that someone would come to the door in a robe and be

angry that I'd ruined their Saturday morning, hoped that over anything

else. But I didn't wake anyone up. They were all wide awake by the time

I got there. Usagi's parents and even her brother sitting in the living

room. They let me in without a word.

"Where's Usagi?" I tried to sound normal, but I don't think I did.

They looked at each other. I hated the looks in their eyes, it

just assured me that this wasn't good. My mind kept on screaming to go

home and put a pillow over my head, it wasn't happening.

"She's...missing." The single word brought on huge sobs by

Usagi's mom. I'll never forget that sentence. The way the tiny word can

slice through you and hurt worse than any physical pain. The police came

and went that day. They seemed to believe Usagi had left on her own.

That she was just some fourteen year old girl who got pregnant, or was

on drugs, and that she had just left on her own. Like she wanted to hurt

us so much. They obviously didn't know Usagi.

Her parents were hurt badly by the suggestions they made. They

knew as well as I did that Usagi didn't leave. And I knew very well they

hadn't done anything to make her leave. It all got worse when Mamoru

arrived. I had called him, along with the other girls. I thought he had

a right to know. Usagi's dad seemed uncomfortable about him being there

but I knew he'd never suspect Mamoru to do anything...or at least I

hoped.

The police questioned Mamoru. It turned out he had been with her

in the park the night before. His story stated that they had separated

at seven and went different ways. More searching done by the police for

several hours. That whole day I stayed at the Tsukino home with Minako,

Makoto, Ami and Mamoru. It seemed like a bad dream, it went on for

centuries even though it was only half a day.

At four a few policemen came back. The look on their faces made me

want to run. I wanted to cover my ears, go back in time, anything but

hear why they had come. The five of us, who loved Usagi so much, stood

behind, silently. Usagi's family were on the couch with the police. It

took a while to sink in for me. For a minute I wondered what was

happening. Why did the Tsukinos start crying? Why did Makoto have to

turn her face away? Why did Mamoru suddenly lose control? The words

seemed to spiral around me before sinking in.

Usagi was dead. She was found in the park, raped and stabbed to

death. As if that wasn't enough information to hurt so bad, the police

had more questions. All about Mamoru. It was hard to answer when all I

could see was sweet little Usagi's face. And before we knew it Mamoru

was led away in handcuffs. When I suddenly realized that I would never

get to see Usagi again, everything else came to me as well. She'd never

know how much I cared about her.

I think I ended up grabbing Minako and sobbing into her hair. I

probably mumbled some things about battles and Sailor Moon but I was so

out of it I don't think anyone would have taken note of it anyway. The

four of us left them alone later, we all cried. We cried until we

couldn't anymore. That was the worst day ever.

•••••••••••••••••••

Eight and a Half Months Earlier-

I put on a long black dress the day of Usagi's funeral. It was

such a horrible day. Everyone cried again. The Tsukinos wanted the

casket to be opened. It made it so much harder. She was still very

battered. The makeup people had helped, but her face had many cuts. Her

beautiful hair looked dirty.

Poor Mamoru. He cried so hard that day. I'd never seen anyone look

so sad, even though I felt that sad. Even on such a day he had to be

escorted by an officer since he was still being kept while they

investigated. The Policeman followed him everywhere. I watched once when

he went to the casket. He talked to her. He placed a red rose in with

her and then broke out in tears again. He started screaming something

about it wasn't supposed to happen. Chibi-Usa's name was mentioned once.

The policeman led him away before the ceremony even took place.

I thought about Usagi. She would want Mamoru to be there. I know

it would kill him inside to not be. I couldn't do anything though, they

took him away. There was a free session to speak about Usagi. Many

people went up. I did, as well as Minako, Ami, and Makoto. Others were

Naru, Umino and Motoki. I knew Luna would have wanted to but obviously

couldn't. Even in front of so many people I confessed my love for Usagi.

I spilled out my feelings to that huge group of people as I had been

unable to do for Usagi alone.

Afterwards there was a reception at Usagi's house. The four of us

slipped into Usagi's room. I found her brooch and the others said I

should keep it. We found Luna in there. Makoto said she would take her

since she lived alone anyway. It was so sad seeing her stuff. Old

homework was still sitting on the table, not done. The picture of her

and Mamoru made me almost cry again. This couldn't be happening.

•••••••••••••••••••

Eight Months Earlier-

Mamoru had been in jail for a month. The police investigated the

scene. That place in the park behind all the trees. They hadn't found

any fingerprints, no DNA as proof. Mamoru was forced to take a lie

detector test, and he passed. They still kept him in jail though.

Eventually came his trial. He had to sit there and be accused of the

rape and murder of Tsukino Usagi. Every time they said it he started

crying.

His own testimony was very convincing. He said how much he loved

her. How sorry he was for leaving her alone in the park. How he would

have killed himself to save her. The four of us defended him too. We

told the judge and jury about their love. Mamoru would never do such a

thing, we all knew it. Only one person sat up there and accused him of

such a thing. And that was Usagi's dad.

He wondered why Usagi would have kept it a secret if she was truly

dating such a nice guy. He didn't trust him because he was older. Who

knows what that jury discussed back there for those two hours. Somehow

they found Usagi's dad's story more true than everyone else's. They

actually had the nerve to stand up and say that Mamoru was guilty of

killing her. The judge let him off easy. Or at least he said he did.

Thirty years doesn't seem easy for the murder of your beloved, one that

you didn't do.

•••••••••••••••••••

Seven Months Earlier-

Poor Mamoru. I went to see him once. I told him that none of us

believed he did it. I told him that I had gone to Usagi's house and told

her dad that he didn't do it. I don't think anything I said made him

feel better though. I must not have given him any hope. I got the phone

call a few days later that he had killed himself.

Ironically, the news made me smile. It was sad since he never

should have been in there in the first place. But at least now he

wasn't. And I knew in my heart they were together. If they were together

they could be happy, even if the rest of us were not.

•••••••••••••••••••

Five months earlier-

When the monster appeared I think it filled us all with dread. We

had discussed it with Luna before. If the need be, we would have to kill

any enemies, no longer able to heal them. The monster was strong. We hit

it again and again. It was weak but it was still strong. I guess we were

weak too. Some more than others.

The bolt shot toward Mercury before any of us could jump in front.

She was knocked out. It only made us madder, we attacked harder. We

eventually killed it and went to help Mercury. We'd help her up and

everything would be fine. I guess we weren't so smart after all. She was

practically dead. We hurried her into the hospital, all of us

untranformed.

Her mom and the other doctors worked hard, but she died. Another

friend gone. It still didn't seem possible. Everyone wanted to know how

she died. We just said it was a monster that appeared and shot at her.

They seemed to believe that. It just led to one more funeral. Another

sad event. We all cried some more. Suddenly this unbeatable team of five

and one extra was down to only three. Life could never be the same.

•••••••••••••••••••

Four months earlier-

Somehow no more monsters attacked. It's a good thing too, we would

have been dead in no time without Usagi. Life had been boring. The three

of us continued school even though we didn't much bother with studying.

We never had fun. A few times we'd start to laugh and then notice the

absence of two other laughs. We'd end up crying instead.

We were all together at Makoto's when we saw it on the news. A man

was arrested and convicted for several murders. The judge had sentenced

him to death. Two days before his death he confessed to two other

murders, one of them being Usagi's. He was killed, as he would have been

if he hadn't confessed to her murder. The news station went on to say

that Usagi's boyfriend had previously been accused of her murder and he

later committed suicide in jail. They showed both of their pictures on

the TV. It was all the more strangely ironic.

•••••••••••••••••••

My very best friend in the world is dead. She saved me from my

loneliness, she showed me my destiny, which was to protect her. And I

didn't do it. She's dead because I didn't. And I guess she's in heaven,

with Mamoru and Ami. I guess she's watching me and she knows. Her death

caused two more and practically three more than that. I don't think

we'll ever truly live again. I never got to tell her that I loved her,

how much I cared about her. But I guess that's okay. She knows. I know

she knows.

**The End**

So, what do you think? That kind of came out of nowhere. I was bored

with my four other unfinished stories and I just decided to start a new

one. I didn't even form the idea until my fingers starting typing. It's

sad, I know, but that's what came out. =)

tishamoon[dot]tripod[dot]com


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